Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-26
FIRE RECORD.
In the Burning OF q HoteI at Denton
Col, 4. J. hitchcock, q Veteran,
Loses His Life.
The Old Man Was Gallant Soldier Under
Ebe Lamented Fanniu at Goliad.
O.her Cor II grstions.
3 Texas Veteran Burned 20 Doath.

kTixas Veteran Burned 20 Doath.
Specialize the Gazette.
DENTON, TEX, Aug. p. "A very dises-
trCus fire occurred here st O'Clock tais
morning in which Colonel A. J. HITCH
cock, 81 old and well known Texas
veteran, lost his life. The fire originated
10 the kitchen Of the James hOte. an Oak
street, recently Kept 5v S, ". keetcr,
but for re lasI few days by : young nan
by the name Of Robert F2in. Il was dis
covered by a. W. Robertson, Esq., Doar0er
Of the place, who a. once r4sed me
alarm, bu. beirg g cripple, was ClH9le 10
make auy effort 70 subdue the tzmes.
The hotel occupied the second story %
two or.rk business houses, a1J Gsd TWO
stGirWays, one running up On TIE outside
and another, not ustd, leading down into
one Of the business houses. The pro-
priet0r, MI. Faip, examined the condition
Of the fire and pronounced it beyond con-
troI, and notified the guests OF the iSct.
MI Robinson, who occupied the same
room IS Colonel IIitC1c0Ch, says that ne
reused him ~ and told him where the
fire was, end that the Tay WAS clear 10
The outside stairway, and that while %
vas throwing 2 trunk ont Of the window
that Hitchcock started cut, and that Ee
followed soon clter him, but did not see
him any more. ReGcling the street Gua
no. seeing him ely more, and know
ing tha. he was Old and intirm, he
sent g msa 20 search the rooms
to see il he mad lost his way or had been
overcome with tee SmOte. Search Wss
made in every loom except where me
DANES were already raging and he WIS
not found and il was supposed thas be
mad come down the stairs end disappeared
IN che crowd. III : lew minutes the build
ing was wrapped N flames $40 IN ! short
tlIae converted into & heap II ruins. i
was not until after daylight tbao the fs,e
CT one OF Texas true sEd tried sons W2s
known. As nothing could be heard Of
him It was decided that he must have
been lost n the building. S5srCh 1ss
made for TIE body, and al , O'Clock ?. n.
this evening it was found, and
il was then discovered thst ne
hsd gone down the stairway which leaG
into one of tire business houses below,
and the door st the loot Cf the stairs be-
ing locBeG vas then caught and perislec
in The flames. Colonel Hitchcock was
one OF TIE survivors Ct the Fannin
massacre st G0hsd, in March: 1881. He,
there, with TWO or uhree Of his comrades,
eludcd the red hand OF MeXicsn
vengeance, but last night Re wss met and
surrounded by p more terrible enemy
than he had encountered 81 Guiisd-ir
but few feet OF lriends-who knew
nothing OF his trouble and was forced to
succumb.
The cad affair is very much deplored
here. The mOvsblG goods were taken out
of tie room, and there vas plenty OF time
&c have taken the cid man out safe and
sound, but as she stairway leading above
had not been used for some time nobody
thought of opening the door Leading above,
and II was also feerfd the flames would
come down the stairway. CzlOnei A. j.
Hitchcock was about severty-three years
| of age, IVES :. native o. Georgia, and was
member Of DR.. JACK ShachletCTd's
/ company, Fannin's command, ia the
Texas revolution. After tie massacre
| at GOli8d ne raised q company end fought
| through the war Of Texas revolution Nil.l
distinction. lie has no relatives living in
this part OF the country, but mas 3 good
| desl o. property, principally in lend etc,
mere ana in other parts Of the state. The
matter Of the csuse and origin of the fire
is now under consideration before Squire
Withers The losses to property Is as
follows: B +. Hunt, Eufala, I, T build
ing, worth $1,000; insured in the Pennsyl.
vania for $500. Kimhrough
Howe, Alabama, Brown Block, onl5
slightly damaged; insured for $1,000
Z Fitzgerald, livery stable, damaged
$500, partly insured; Robert Fsin, furni-
ture, insured at S525-totsI loss but value
not given; B. & j. T. Gidcunt, agricul-
turel implements, damage covered by in
surance; Scotch American Loan A3JOcia-
ton building, loss $3.50, insurance no
known; Lone Star Nursery Co., slightly
damaged, covered by insurance.